Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 7
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
निधाय केशराग्रे तु दलसन्धींस्तु लाञ्छयेत् पातयित्वाथ सूत्राणि तत्र पत्राष्टकं लिखेत् रसं गन्धञ्च पद्मेषु चतुर्विंशतिषु क्रमात् प्रत्यग्निष्टोमकमिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः ज्योतिष्टोमकमिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः जीवं मनोधिपञ्चाहं प्रकृतिं शब्दमात्रकं
nidhāya keśarāgre tu dalasandhīṃstu lāñchayet pātayitvātha sūtrāṇi tatra patrāṣṭakaṃ likhet rasaṃ gandhañca padmeṣu caturviṃśatiṣu kramāt pratyagniṣṭomakamiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ jyotiṣṭomakamiti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ jīvaṃ manodhipañcāhaṃ prakṛtiṃ śabdamātrakaṃ
Colocando la marca en la punta del pericarpio (kesarāgra), debe señalar las junturas de los pétalos del loto. Luego, dejando caer los hilos guía, debe trazar allí un diagrama de loto de ocho pétalos. En el orden debido, sobre los veinticuatro lotos debe inscribir los términos ‘rasa’ y ‘gandha’. (En algunos manuscritos señalados se lee ‘pratyagniṣṭomakam’; en otros, ‘jyotiṣṭomakam’.) Después se escribe: ‘jīva’, ‘manodhipa’, ‘pañcāha’, ‘prakṛti’ y ‘śabdamātraka’ como elementos mantricos.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Mantra-lekhana on a padma-yantra: marking pericarp tip and petal-junctions, dropping guide-threads, writing an eight-petalled lotus, then inscribing specific tattva/mantra terms (rasa, gandha, jīva, etc.) in prescribed loci.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Padma-yantra mantra-lekhana: keśarāgra-lakṣaṇa, sūtra-pātana, aṣṭadala-lekhana, tattva-śabda-nyāsa","lookup_keywords":["mantra-lekhana","aṣṭadala","keśara","rasa-gandha","jīva"],"quick_summary":"Construct the lotus diagram with precise markings and threads, then inscribe designated mantra/tattva terms (including rasa and gandha, and items like jīva and prakṛti) in a fixed order across the lotus compartments."}
Concept: Ritual language (written mantra-terms) is treated as a mapping of ontology: sensory subtlety (rasa, gandha), individuality (jīva), mind-lordship (manodhipa), and nature (prakṛti) are installed as powers within the yantra.
Application: For dhyāna and pūjā, use written placements to stabilize visualization: each term becomes a fixed locus for contemplation and offering.
Khanda Section: Pūjā-vidhi / Tantra-Mantra (Padma-yantra & mantra-lekhana procedure)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lotus-yantra being prepared: the pericarp tip is marked, petal junctions are notched, threads are dropped as guides, an eight-petalled lotus is drawn, and Sanskrit terms like rasa, gandha, jīva, prakṛti are written into compartments; scribal marginal variants are visible.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest drawing an aṣṭadala padma with hanging guide-threads, clear inscriptions ‘rasa’ ‘gandha’ and other tattva-words in petals, warm lamp-lit temple floor, stylized ornaments and ritual vessels.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, ornate lotus diagram with gold-highlighted petals, bold Sanskrit inscriptions in each petal, priest holding stylus, rich reds and greens, decorative arch border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional clarity: stepwise depiction of marking keśarāgra, placing threads, then writing terms; fine lines, soft colors, annotated Sanskrit labels and neat geometry.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier-like scene: scholar-priest with manuscript showing variant readings, assistant holding threads, lotus diagram on paper/cloth with precise calligraphy of rasa/gandha/jīva/prakṛti, intricate textiles and margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: keśarāgre → keśara-agre; dalasandhīṃstu → dala-sandhīn + tu; gandhañca → gandham + ca; pratyagniṣṭomakamiti → prati-agniṣṭomakam + iti; manodhipañcāhaṃ → manodhipam + ca + aham.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (mantra-lekhana and padma-nyāsa continuation)
FAQs
It gives a procedural method for constructing a padma-yantra: marking petal-junctions, using guiding threads, drawing an eight-petalled lotus, and sequentially inscribing specified mantra-terms across a set of twenty-four lotuses.
Beyond mythology, it preserves applied ritual technology—diagram construction, inscription order, and variant textual readings—showing the Purana functioning as a practical manual for pūjā, yantra, and mantra-nyāsa traditions.
Correctly drawing and inscribing the yantra is treated as a precision act of worship: it stabilizes the deity’s invocation through form (yantra) and sound (mantra), supporting purification and intended ritual results (siddhi/phala) through proper order (krama).